DanielS

If you have seen the latest Chef's Table BBQ with Lennox Hastie, who only cooks with fire, but cant make it to Australia, take a trip to Field and Main! Highlights: Lets start with the Hearth. Unlike most places, they arent afraid to put some serious char on bread, veggies, steak, etc and the results are amazing. Speaking of the house made bread with a huge smear of butter, corn, peanuts, etc. trust me just go ahead and order two, its that good. Corn, Corn, Corn and Tomatoes - Corn on the cob, corn on the bread plate, corn cake, corn bread pudding, even corn ice cream! Exactly what I would want to see at this time of the year on a restaurants menu. Outdoor Cabanas - From the moment Neil's emails mentioned reopening these seem to be a hot ticket. It took us a few weeks out to get a weekend reservation. They are awesome, totally private, large spaces. From now on I want all my meals in a cabana. We take Coronavirus very seriously, and we didnt have a moment where we didnt feel totally safe. The service is wonderful, everyone in masks, paper menus, even expandable sanitizing towels on the table, beware they look like mints. I might have played a joke on my wife. Thanks to Neil and the staff at Field and Main. I am sure like many restaurants, especially those owned by individuals, the last few months have been incredibly stressful, frustrating, and depressing. Its great to see you back on your feet, and just want to let you know as a guest, it is great to be able to have a beautiful night out in a restaurant again. Daniel S

Glad you posted this, we live up in Winchester and had not heard of it. Menu looks great and very affordable. We will try to get down there this weekend! Daniel

Out here is the "country" the co-owner of Fireworks, Patrick Dihn, opened Oak Stone Pizza in Winchester. It is a wonderful addition to the city. with of course great pizza, and surprisingly good wings. Hopefully its success with encourage other restaurateurs from NoVa to make their way out here.

Costco in Winchester sells Prime whole briskets, 2.99 a pound. Maybe call Costco's around there.

Don, I will say this, I cant say at anytime during the meal I thought, "this is alot of heavy food." That being said when looking over what we ate, it could be described that way. Most of the items do have some form of cheese, croutons, sauces, etc. We did actually substitute the hearth baked skillet cookies and ice cream dessert for corn ice cream sandwiches and basil cakes, thinking we would be too full. We were told to start thinking of boxing food as the dinner progressed, of course all that was left was a small piece of ribeye to take home. Granted we did order the Feast, and that is what we literally got. I believe these were full size versions of what is on the menu. Let me expand briefly on the high-wire act going on that is so impressive. The location of the restaurant lends itself to many different levels of income/backgrounds. I know i read in an interview Mr. Wavra mentioned to the effect of wanting to open a place where a farmer could sit down and feel comfortable to eat. With its proximity to horse country there is a lot of money, at the same time, many of these people do still think of themselves as simple farmers if you will. The food and the environment lend themselves perfectly to this. Lastly, and probably most importantly, Mr. Wavra standing at the door at 5pm on a Sunday evening greeting new and obviously many frequent guests.

Figured I would bump this up since we had such a great meal here on Sunday. First let me say, we live in Winchester, and have never been to Marshall, even though we had eaten at Ashby Inn and followed this thread. The area where the restaurant is located looks as if the food gods decided to drop a bunch of culinary treats in the middle of nowhere, no offense to Marshall. Basically on one block sits Red Truck Bakery, Gentle Harvest, the Whole Ox, Cordial Coffee, and Field and Main, my apologies if I missed anyone. After going over too many items on the menu to decide on, we settled on The Feast. At 69 dollars, this was a great way to try a large portion of the menu, and in my opinion a great value. Standouts: The buffalo pigs ears, the roasted cauliflower and pickled vegetable plate, piquillo stuffed pepper, and crispy potatoes. For an extra 10p/p we upgraded to the ribeye, and it was worth every penny, and a large piece of meat. At the end of the meal, with my wife glancing to the kitchen, Mr. Warva was kind enough to literally take us in the kitchen to see the setup of the hearth, its incredible. We also joked about Don's attempts to go "incognito" while dining at Mr. Wavra's restaurants. For a early Sunday night I was surprised how busy it was. I will give Mr. Wavra credit, the fine line he pulls off between fancy/downhome food, price, and environment is quite an accomplishment. Daniel S.

La Cheeserie!

Stopped in Albany for the night while traveling and ate at Hong Kong Bakery and Bistro, it was great. The Salt and Pepper Short Ribs w/Chili were amazing. They have dim sum during the day but we missed that. The bakery area looked quite nice as well. I live out in Winchester, so good Chinese is a rarity, so I would kill to have a place like this near us. Hong Kong Bakery & Bistro | 8 Wolf Road | Albany, New York 12205 | (518) 431-6520

Winchester Winchester has come a long way in the last 10 years. One sign of that is the upcoming http://hopblossom.com/ on June 8th. We had the first Alamo Drafthouse outside of Texas, and are getting a Carmike 12 Screen "BIGD" theater soon. The walking mall was recently redone before Apple Blossom, and looks great. In the summer they hold movies, concerts, etc on the mall. While One Block West might not be considered "appreciated" by the locals, it has been in business for many years, probably 6 or 7 since Chef Ed took over and has slowly allowed him to really expand his dishes, many of which you would have never imagined in Winchester ten years ago. He should be given a lot of credit for pushing the boundaries of what the town will eat.

Funny reading this 4 years later and Triangle Diner still isnt open. It was purchased and the sign was put up, but from the looks of it, still the same. If you havent been, the walking mall in old town is really quaint. Violino and Thai Winchester are both family owned and very good. Village Square and One Block West are both good, but can be hit or miss. The Union Jack and V2 Lounge and both nice for a drink. A small drive will get you to both the Ashby Inn and L'Auberge Provencale, both are excellent. There is a new little market Bonnie Blue, close to old town, doing very good smoked chicken and pork, everything is made in house, not really a place for sit down, but if you want to pick up some stuff its worth stopping at. Haute Dogs and Market Burger in Purceville are worth a short drive for that type of food.

Never had Q, but I like Fever Tree. There is a really good deal on Amazon right now for it. You get 24 bottles for 30 bucks with a 15% coupon BROBRI55 plus free shipping and no tax. They also have Ginger Beer and Bitter Lemon. I used to drink tonic water straight as a kid and loved it, I think my parents thought I was nuts.

My wife and I ate here on Saturday night for the first time, lemme just say wow! Think Minibar/Volt in a country inn setting. We made a meal of the snacks, appetizers, cheese course, and desserts. Throw in some great bread and butter, a palate cleanser, and some treats at the end of the meal and we left stuffed. You could go crazy on the "snacks" alone. I could eat a bowl of the pretzel gourgeres filled with cheddar/beer. I will agree with Dan, the roasted chestnut soup was the star of the meal. Bacon cream, mmmm. Service was great, the setting is very comfortable, nothing stuffy at all. Cant wait to return. Daniel S.

Been eating at "Tuskies" for years, they have really stepped up their game. Ate there last week for lunch and their menu and execusion is really phenomenal. Plus walk up the road to Moms Apple Pie and you have your local "pies made by sweet neighborhood lady"

Having a craving for Ginger Scallion Lobster or Crab. Anyone have any recommendations? Preferably a place with live tanks. Thanks! Daniel

Ok this might be blasphemous, but I am looking for a good Sunday Buffet Brunch. I have a few young picky eaters, so I am looking for something with made to order eggs/omelets/waffles, carving station, fruits, desserts, etc. Is there anywhere out there that isnt just industrial style cafeteria? Coming into the city from Winchester, VA. Thanks in advance for any suggestions, Daniel

They had quite a few of these at the Winchester store, picked up the largest one I could find, 6.3 pounds at $3.89 a pound. Will serve roasted with their fingerling potatoes for a pre-Thanksgiving meal. Also, I have gotten their Prime Top Sirlions the last couple of visits, which are very good at $5.99 a pound.

More stuff we have gotten over the last few weeks: Kohlrabi Snow Peas Swiss Chard Broccoli Garlic Scapes Collard Greens Sage Thai Basil Lots of varieties of lettuces Quantity and quality have been super!

I have been here to eat and also take a cooking class with my daughter. It is a wonderful place, the surroundings are as nice as you can get. The "dining room" is basically like eating outdoors with beautiful views, make sure to get there before sundown for a great sunset. The food is very good, most everything comes directly from their garden. This is as true "farm to table" as you are gonna get. It is pricey, and the service is somewhat relaxed, as you are basically eating in someones backyard. Make sure to spend some time talking to the owner Beverly, she has a great story on the growth of her farm/restaurant.

My birthday meal at the Chefs Table at 2941 several years ago, still stands out as my favorite meal. Imagine having Chef Krinn as your personal chef and waiter for the evening. His joy of cooking was so evident. I wish Chef Krinn the best wherever he ends up next. Daniel

Living out in Winchester, VA I dont post much, but wanted to let you know about a CSA we joined this year, Lei Kei Farms. Looks like they deliver out to Alexandria and Shirlington, but are based out in this area, in Clear Brook. So far we have had 2 deliveries that have been amazing stuff. They send out a newsletter by email each week with a list of the items, descriptions and recipies. Here is the list: 3 varieties of baby lettuce Ramps Spring Garlic Arugala Spinach Cilantro Radishes Basil Dill Oregano Mint Chinese Mustard Greens Shallots Baby Bok Choy Coming up with recipies has been a blast. Daniel

Read in Food Arts Chef Fabio was just hired by the Four Seasons NY.

Out here in the sticks, Winchester, VA there is a small french restaurant called La Nicoise. This time of year the owners mother, Mimi from Nice, makes a wonderful cassoulet. If you are ever out this way, give it a try.

LOL, my wife who is somewhat of a picky eater asked what the sweetbreads were, and I told her a Chicken McNugget. While I will agree with DPop, it is alot of food, many of the courses, unlike many "tasting menus" would probably be considered 1/2 size orders of a full course. Hell, some like the short ribs and halibut were full size. With that being said, Im probably a pig, and couldnt get enough. Having been in the kitchen and now watching Chef Bryan on Top Chef, all I can think is this guy is too good for Fredrick and it will be only a matter of time before we lose him like Chef Trabocchi, to NYC. Oh if you have 300 bucks lying around, I got an email from them recently, they are hosting a farm dinner on Sept 15th. "So do we have a dinner planned for YOU! Get out your calendar and pencil in Tuesday, September 15th. We are picking up VOLT and going to the farm and we want you to come with us. Chef is planning a six-course dinner at the organic-certified Whitmore Farm. You remember me talking about Whitmore Farm in previous blogs yes? That’s the location of the now infamous pig - um - procedure. And you know, its no secret I’ve had this adoration of Morrow and his farm since the day I set foot on the farm. We’re hosting a very limited spaced dinner set inside the twinkling lantern-lit red and white barn overlooking a pasture of grazing Katahdin Sheep and Fainting Goats. Don’t you just want to be at this dinner? It’s really a postcard fairy tale but better. This fairy tale includes food! The six-course dinner complemented by beverage pairings will showcase Whitmore Farm products and those of other local farms - Summer Creek Farm and Scenic View Orchard to name a few. Beverage pairings for the dinner bring together truly exceptional local vintners including Flying Dog Brewery, Black Ankle and Elk Run. The cocktail reception will feature handcrafted libations featuring local ingredients. Here’s a quote from Chef from our press release - “By hosting this dinner on the farm, we’re taking our guests through the journey that we go thru everyday in selecting ingredients that make up the menu. Hand selecting each purveyor, visiting each farm and taking a real interest in how our foods are grown and handled from the farm to the restaurant. The menu will be focused around products from farms within Frederick County. So the purpose is to give our diners a unique farm-to-table setting that shows our commitment to the farmer - chef relationship.” The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. The cost is $285 per guest. Reservations can be made by calling VOLT: 301-696-VOLT (8658). Whitmore Farm is located at 10720 Dern Road in Emmitsberg, Maryland. Please visit the VOLT website for event details, hotel and transportation recommendations (but not yet, I haven’t gotten to the website yet - check our site in a few days). Here are url’s for our event participants. Please visit them: • Whitmore Farm: www.whitmorefarm.com • Black Ankle Winery: www.BlackAnkle.com • Elk Run Winery: www.ElkRun.com • Flying Dog Brewery: www.FlyingDogAles.com • Sota Dzine Photography: www.SotaWeddings.com This is a not-to-miss event! Save up now.

Late to posting, but just noticed this thread. Went about a month ago for my birthday for the table 21 meal. Living in Winchester, any special meal is a drive, and this one to Frederick, didn't disappoint. Though similar to Eric's, we had quite a few different dishes, as well as different make up of dishes, including a soft shell crab dish, a compressed melon and salmon roe dish, and a 72 hour short rib dish to die for. All the ingredients were very seasonal for early summer. The food is amazing, but it is matched by the immaculate kitchen, the staff, who either I am getting really old, or are extremely young, but no less pro's, many wearing matching brown Chuck Taylors, which made me smile. And then there is Chef Bryan, who obviously has all their adoration, and rightly so. The fact that they have only been in business a year is astonishing, they really work like a well oiled machine, as the picture below demonstrates:

Put me down, id love to try it. I live out in Winchester, VA so it isnt a bad drive at all for me. Daniel